“Please Nuh Lef No Device Plugged In”

Two fires were reported in Belize City on Friday night. The first broke out on Aloe Vera Street, destroying the bedroom of four boys.

Homeowner Diane Pelayo said she discovered the blaze after her daughter noticed smoke. “My daughter came inside and saw smoke coming from out of my son’s room…And when I went and I saw the smoke, I ran to their room and that was where when I push open the door, I saw the fire blazing the hole. All their beds were on fire.”

The National Fire Service has not yet released its findings on the cause of the fire, but Pelayo believes it started from a tablet left charging. “Please nuh lef no device plugged in on the bed because that’s what started the fire for us. A tablet plugged in, catch fire on the bed.”

Neighbours assisted by lending a hose and helping to fight the fire from outside, but despite their efforts, Pelayo said her sons escaped with only the clothes they were wearing. “They only managed to have the clothes on their backs. So that’s where we are at right now.”

Her six children spent Friday night sleeping on cardboard on the floor of a neighbour’s house.

The family is seeking financial assistance, beds, construction materials, and clothing in medium and large sizes for boys aged fourteen to twenty-one. Anyone wishing to help can contact Diane Pelayo at 629-6750.